Special thanks to everyone that came! And to Tim Metherall for filming the timelapse. In the background you'll see a fox-proof chicken coup and "strawyard" being constructed, with lawn cleared and veggie beds prepared in the foreground. Also check out the great photos from the day.
Also big thanks to The Sharehood who donated plants. Everyone who came could take a free veggie seedling home, the only catch was you had to take two, and give one to a neighbour and tell them about The Sharehood. The Sharehood "aims to build joyful, sustainable and resilient communities by encouraging people to get to know their neighbours and share with them." There's an online tool and services trading network. Learn more at www.thesharehood.org or watch the little video below with Michael Green, who gave a workshop at the blitz.
The hosts of this blitz included Asha Bee, who was at Permablitz #1 back in 2006 and is part of the Melbourne Permablitz Collective and writes our regular newsletters. They write:
Having been in and around Permablitz Melbourne in from it's early days it's easy to take it for granted that a bunch of strangers would come to someone's house and spend all day doing manual labour just for the love of it (...and for all the perma-learnings through the workshops and the opportunity to be blitzed in the future, yes) but being on the other side of a permablitz again - having wise friends help design the garden, chook run and strawyard, and then having a bunch of strangers-to-be-friends convert our field of lawn into all that in one day - it's great to be reminded of how special the Permablitz concept is. Three cheers for Permablitz and thirty cheers for everyone who was involved in our blitz!!
The Ascot Vale Special School blitz went very nicely. About 15 blitzers turned up, most of them first timers with lots of enthusiasm and wonder. The first job was the retrofitting of nine corrugated iron beds into wicking beds, under the guidance of the Seila the wicking-man. All the pipes had been precut, and were ready to go, and with Seila's workshop it was a great success. It usually is with Seila the wicking-man.
As well as the wicking-beds, 80 % of the chook house was completed. Lunch was held in the students kitchen, and was a typical menu: the volunteers were pleased to be immersed in the school's programme.
In spite of the fact that, personally, this blitz was a blitz, with just three weeks of preparation at a very busy time of year, I'd love to host part two sometime soon. Maybe see you there...
Elizabeth and Rodney's blitz in Preston was a great success. We started by preparing cardboard for sheet mulching while getting aquainted and then had our morning circle with introductions, some health and safety, and some info about Elizabeth and Rodney's inspiring new energy efficient house. Then we got stuck into it with some extensive sheet mulching, a quick workshop on good tree planting practice, and some heavy duty concete stump removal (which was very successful). Paths and irrigation went into the front and then it was time for a wonderful lunch lovingly prepared by Elizabeth and her mother. After a good yarn, and lots of blue cheese, half of the group departed for a tour around the 9 star energy rating house, which has just won a design award! The rest of us got on with the irrigation and paths in the back.
It was a very kid friendly blitz and we had heaps of little ones helping with sawdust spreading and generally having a ball. The day came to a triumphant end when all the work was done and seedlings planted. We finished with a big congratulations and thanks followed by a special circle of joined hands and mutual appreciation was. Some well earned cider and even more blue cheese topped off a great day for all.
